


not moving on, not looking back

by we_are_inevitable



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, Coworkers - Freeform, Divorce, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Football, Friendship, Implied Sexual Content, Internalized Homophobia, Jewish David Jacobs, Latino Jack Kelly, Lovers to Friends, Miscarriage, Multi, New Jobs, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Sad Jack Kelly, Slow Burn, Strained Relationships, Unhappy marriage, also all of tarrytown canon is thrown out by chapter 6 so, but its ok !! he gets better, dont expect canonical accuracy, drunk conversations, gay best friend (affectionate), hes very much a repressed asshole in this au, it happened in the past though, messy relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-20 10:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30003459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_inevitable/pseuds/we_are_inevitable
Summary: David has a past. A less-than-squeaky-clean past, actually; one that prompts him to move away from the city in search of a new life, one without a menagerie of disappointments and fallouts.Katherine is working at a job she's overqualified for, is married to a husband she's not happy with, and is ready to either give up and stay put or throw in the towel. All in all, she's ready for change.Jack wanted change once, until 'change' turned into 'bad'. He doesn't want 'bad' anymore, but everything- and everyone- around him is changing... even things he thought he knew about himself.Worlds collide, relationships are tested, lives are changed.Welcome to Tarrytown.**inspired by the Tarrytown musical; can be read with no knowledge of Tarrytown canon**
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Eventual David Jacobs/Jack Kelly - Relationship, Eventual Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Comments: 14
Kudos: 25





	1. one // small town america thrives

**Author's Note:**

> hi remember when i posted this, then deleted it, then posted it AGAIN and deleted it for a second time ??? well !! third time's the charm

This is… crazy. A god awful idea, truly. Why he’s convinced himself to do this, David will never really know, but it’s way too late to back out now, isn't it? The taxi has already taken him to the new town, and walking back home to New York would take far too long, even without his luggage...

_Fuck._

He had been fine, really fine, until he saw that _“Welcome To Tarrytown!”_ sign right outside the city limits. It’s old and falling apart, and if that’s supposed to be a symbol of how the town is going to treat him… David can’t exactly say he’s excited.

It doesn’t help that it’s still such an early afternoon. It’s barely three o’clock and he’s already here. Maybe he should have planned to arrive later, so he didn’t have to face the day in a new town until tomorrow… or maybe, just maybe, he should have planned to not arrive at all. At least the traffic isn’t bad. Traffic in New York City would have never moved this fast, even if the speed limit was the same 40 miles per hour.

But this isn’t New York.

And this road has potholes. A lot of potholes.

David is never going to get used to this.

The driver stops at a stop sign, and David finds himself staring out the window, running a shaky hand through his hair. He looks to his left and sees a school bus stop in front of a little blue house. Two teens step off- the eldest looks to be about the same age as Les, just barely 16. God, does David miss him. Les didn’t really understand why David was moving away, not that David had even tried to explain, but at least he didn’t seem too angry, so David was spared the guilt from _that_ interaction.

Telling Sarah, though, had been a different story. She knew what he was doing. She knew that he was running away from his problems again- she was his twin, of _course_ she would figure it out- and after their last argument, he didn’t even say goodbye.

Not to her. Not to anyone, really. Not to Sarah, not to his mom and dad, not to his friends or his coworkers or those few friends with benefits and fuck buddies that would likely be blowing up his phone within the week. He said goodbye to Les, yeah, because David isn’t _that_ much of an asshole, but to everyone else… he just left. Dropped off the face of the planet. He’ll text his parents his new address when he’s done unpacking the minimal luggage he had actually brought with him.

A streak to his right pulls him out of his thoughts. He turns slightly to watch the figure go by- a paperboy on his bike, tossing newspapers to the well-manicured lawns of the suburban neighborhood that surrounds him. Rose bushes and flower gardens and cheesy fall decor line nearly every yard, but maybe that was the appeal, at least to those living uptown.

Tarrytown isn’t tiny, but it certainly isn’t New York, and this has got to be the smallest town David has ever been in. Going from a city of over 8 million people to a town of just over 11 thousand is undoubtedly going to be a culture shock for David, that’s for sure, but small town America was thriving from what he could see through the window. No wonder this place was called Tarrytown, huh? By definition- which David had looked up, of course, in his rushed planning just a week before- ‘tarry’ means to _stay longer than intended,_ and it seems that this was what everyone had done. They stay longer than they intend to, and end up creating a life that no one wants, a bore that no one needs. It’s too simple.

Unfortunately, “simple” is exactly what David needs right now. 

David’s attention wanders in and out as the driver continues on through the town. He can see a shift; the houses are getting smaller, older, more run down, but they are still… Nice. Quaint. They look innocent on the outside; perhaps it’s just the colonial charm, the history of the town shining through. Still, David won’t be surprised if one of those homes is hiding a meth lab or something. Maybe it could be a front for some weird cult-y organization. And maybe that was a rude thing to say, sure, because he doesn’t _know_ this town intimately yet, but David is feeling nothing but pessimistic. The most exciting thing to happen in this town recently was the new Walmart opening, according to what David had seen online, so he has his reasons to be… terrified, right?

Back in New York, David had options. Limitless places to eat, crowds of new people, faces you will never have to see again, names to forget within five minutes. Sure, it didn’t always smell too great, and maybe David was a little fed up with the tourism from time to time, but it was _home._ He’s always going to miss it.

Suddenly, the car stops. David pulls out his wallet and hands the driver his money, as well as a pretty hefty tip, then takes a few minutes to take all of his boxes out of the back. And then the driver pulls away from the house, leaving nothing but a cloud of dark smoke in his wake.

David watches the car until it turns at the next stop sign a few blocks down. He lets out a loud sigh as he turns back to look the other way. He sees a truck driving slowly down the road, stopping at each house, and he wonders what’s going on until he sees- oh, okay. Mailman.

The mailman has a mullet and a gun on his dashboard. The mailman also has a Blue Lives Matter sticker on the back of his truck.

How… _charming._

He cringes as he glances back toward the truck, then shakes his head as he began taking his boxes to the porch. The key is right under the doormat, just like the landlord had said, so at least that’s worked out for him. He spends the next fifteen minutes bringing his boxes inside, and spends the next hour setting everything up. The small house is fully furnished- there was no way that David could afford new furniture, especially since his previous apartment was also fully furnished when he rented it, and, well, he couldn’t exactly take that stuff to a new city. There’s a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, two small bedrooms and one small bathroom. It’s just over the size of a New York City apartment, but about $1,000 cheaper and it doesn’t come with a view of a brick building and a disgusting alley. Plus, he doesn't even have to leave the comfort of his home to do laundry anymore.

Maybe this was a bit of an upgrade from before. Huh. Who knew that could happen?

Once he has everything where he wants it, at least for now, David walks outside onto the porch, taking a seat on the porch swing. The concept is wild to him- a porch swing is something he's only seen in really southern movies, but it's kind of relaxing. Plus, it gives him the perfect opportunity to watch the neighbors. Everyone seems to be out and about. There’s a group of moms walking together across the street, and David can vaguely hear them mention something about church. A few kids walk a dog down the sidewalk in front of his house. People are biking and raking leaves and everyone seems to be doing okay with their own thing.

David can’t really judge them even if he wanted to. The only note he had was how everything looked so… manufactured. The greetings and the conversations he hears were fake. Everyone smiles and says they’re doing fine. At least in the city, people say what they mean. Adjusting to fit the new crowd would be tough for sure, but it’ll be fine, right?

Because everything is fine.

Everything _has_ to be fine.

David will be fine. He already has a job, and though he already misses New York, he has to force himself to be optimistic. Maybe he’ll be able to make a friend here? And maybe he’ll meet… more than a friend. He can picture it now; some sort of Hallmark movie romance, except in this movie, he’ll take the place of the city girl and still fall for the handsome country hunk. And if that doesn’t work, Manhattan is just an hour away. He can still go when he needs to let loose, or when he misses going to drag shows. It’ll all be fine.

David takes a deep breath, then checks his watch. It’s only about 5:00 now, but by the time he goes inside, finishes setting up his shit, and has dinner, it'll be time for him to start winding down for the night. He has a big day tomorrow. First day on the job. David figures he would need as much rest as he could get, all things considered.

There’s a lot that he still needs to do, and no time to do it.

But, hey. At least he’s left the rush of the city.

At least, here, he doesn’t have a past full of mistakes breathing down his neck.


	2. two // and summer waves goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He’s dressed in fitted black slacks and a blue and white striped button up, but the sleeves are rolled up to his forearms and the shoes don’t quite match the shade of black on his pants and, fuck, why is he stressing?_
> 
> _First day, first impressions._
> 
> _He grabs a black blazer, just in case._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yes hello im in love with katherine pulitzer

The alarm goes off at 6:30.

Truthfully, David has forgotten how he got into bed, or where he even was, but after a few moments he regains his bearings. He’s in his new home, lying in his new bed, and he has to get up and get ready for his new job in a new town. Great. Wonderful. Perfect!

No. Not perfect.

Bad.

This is going to be _bad._

As much as he wants to lie back down and forget he has responsibilities, David stands and walks to the bathroom. He brushes his teeth and hops in the shower, taking a few extra minutes to let the water run over his back, just to relax for a moment. Just to make himself stop shaking, because he's shaking a lot more than he should be. His skin burns, even under the cold water, and it's hard to stand anymore- but David pushes through. He always pushes through, even when his hands tremble so much that he can barely grasp the bottle of body wash. Even when everything in him begs for _something_ to get him through the day.

His shower is longer than he meant it to be, by the time he's able to turn off the water, which has now run ice cold under his own watch, he's... better? He’s at least feeling calmer now, just a bit, but he knows today is bound to be a trainwreck. He just prays that it turns out better than he’s expecting.

Twenty minutes later, David is dressed and ready to walk out the door. He looks in the mirror, running a hand over his face. His hair is still damp, but it at least looks… nice. Not great, but not horrible. He needs a haircut. He’s dressed in fitted black slacks and a blue and white striped button up, but the sleeves are rolled up to his forearms and the shoes don’t quite match the shade of black on his pants and, _fuck,_ why is he stressing?

First day, first impressions.

He grabs a black blazer, just in case.

After hurriedly searching for his cross-body messenger bag, David double checks that he has everything. Phone, wallet, charger, folders, binder, house keys. Once he’s sure, he walks out into the cool morning air, takes a deep breath, and starts on his two block walk to the high school.

How he was lucky enough to find this job, he'll never know. He’s taking over for the music teacher at the local high school who had been fired just recently- he isn’t exactly sure why she’d been let go. He’d seen some rumors online that she lost her shit after one of her students played a wrong note in the first concert of the year, apparently. At least David knows that he’s not _that_ uptight, so maybe he’ll be able to get off on the right foot with these kids, considering what they must have dealt with before he showed up.

He’s extremely thankful for his parents at that moment. They had been the ones to push him into joining the school band in sixth grade, and now he was able to teach his very own music class… even if the prospect is daunting, given where he’s been mentally the past few months, and especially after losing his last job. But everything will be fine. He knows what he’s doing. He knows that he’s capable, even if he’s out of practice. He knows he’ll be good.

On his walk to the school, David goes over his lesson plans for the day. He’ll introduce himself to his classes and try to learn a bit about the kids, then let them tell him what they were working on before Mrs. Batshit got fired. He’ll overcome, adapt, and try to make the program the best he can.

He’ll try to make this _year_ the best he can.

Before long, David is walking through the front doors of the high school. It’s a pretty big school to accommodate for the student size, and it looks exactly like any high school you would see in a cliche teenage coming of age movie. There’s a trophy case lining the wall inside, a teacher’s lounge next to the office, tons of posters for clubs and events, anti-bullying signs above water fountains, and tons of students already milling about- it's nothing like David has ever seen. It was wide, and only one floor, which was a lot different than what he was used to in New York City, but he'll make do.

David glances around a few more times before slowly walking into the office, biting his lip. He walks up to the secretary’s desk, wringing his hands. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Miss Hudson-Flint?”

The woman behind the desk looks up from her screen, flashing David a kind smile. “She’s not here at the moment, can I take a message?”

“Oh, well, uh,” David pauses for a moment, gulping. “I’m actually here for work. It’s my first day? I was hired on as the new music teacher--”

“Oh, you’re David Jacobs!” A voice that _doesn’t_ belong to the secretary calls out. He turns with wide eyes, seeing a woman standing in the doorway of an office to his left. She’s gorgeous, with curled auburn hair and red lipstick and an excited smile. She’s wearing heels and a black skirt, which is paired with a soft pink blouse tucked in at the waist. Even though David is admittedly and openly a gay man, he can see the appeal.

“Yeah, that’s me,” David responds after a moment of analysis, cocking his head to the side.

The woman walks forward, that smile never leaving her face. “My name’s Katherine Kelly! Hello!”

“Hi, it’s nice to--”

“How’s it going?”

“Well--”

“We are _thrilled_ that you’re here!” The woman- Katherine- continues. David casts a quick look at the secretary, who has an amused look on her face. As he turns back to look at Katherine, she begins speaking once more. “Thank _God_ for you! Our last music teacher was just let go, as you know. I have no idea why, but I never liked her much anyway. She was old, and the kids were scared of her, y’know? But it’s fine, now you’re here!”

“...Wow,” David says after a moment, staring at her with a bewildered expression.

Katherine cringes, then shakes her head. “Sorry, I know I’m a blabbermouth, huh? Talk off your ear if you give me the chance, or so my father says so. C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

She talks with her hands a lot, David notices. 

Before he can get another word in, though, a flash of realization crosses Katherine’s face. “I’m not the principal, I’m her assistant- but you already knew I wasn’t her, because you knew her name, and-- I’m sorry, I’m rambling, aren’t I?” Katherine winces, and sighs. “I’m sorry. It's been a long week."

“No- No! It’s fine, trust me,” David responds with a soft chuckle, and gestures with his hand. “Lead the way, Mrs. Kelly.”

“Please, call me Katherine,” She says with a wave of her hand, but leads David out of the office. Katherine continues talking as she shows him through the school, telling him about the history and the students and everything she could, while David is content to listen to her. It’s nice, not having to do the talking at first, and if all of the other faculty members are as kind as Katherine, then David will get along just fine.

“Here it is, your very own prison,” Katherine says with an apologetic smile, handing David the key to the classroom. “It isn’t much, I know. We’ve had to do some budgeting in the arts department to make room for a new football stadium. Is that not ridiculous? I find it ridiculous. Sorry about this,” She speaks in a resigned voice as she walks into the class, and David follows.

He looks around, tilting his head. She was right; it isn’t great, but it’s honestly better than he expected. There’s a wall full of binders of sheet music, and there are a few instruments, a grand piano, and some risers and chairs for the kids to sit in. Plus, the window has a pretty nice view of the courtyard, so that’s… nice. Natural lighting and all. “No, Katherine, this is great. Thank you,” David says sincerely, turning to shoot her a smile. 

Katherine grins, and shrugs her shoulders.“I was just saying. I know that the city cares more about the arts and, well, you’re from Manhattan, right? You’ve probably seen so much better. Hey, if you don’t mind me asking… why _did_ you move here?” Katherine asks with a curious expression. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, and gives an awkward little hand gesture as she continues with, “I mean- I’m not judging, it’s just… usually, people move away from _here_ in order to have a new life _there._ You seem to be, well... breaking the cycle.”

“It isn’t that I wanted to move here; I just... I needed to get away from that place,” David remarks, then winces once he realizes how cold his tone may have seemed. “I’m sorry, that- I didn’t mean… I’m sorry. If you want to, we can talk about it another time,” David promises, and bites his lip. “I, uh… I have lesson plans I need to go over.”

“Right, sorry,” Katherine concedes with a tight smile. “Your kids will be here in an hour. Good luck with your first day!”

“Katherine- Wait,” David says as she hurries to the door, shooting out a hand as if to pull her back. “I just… I wanted to thank you, for everything. You’re really sweet. It’s refreshing.”

“It’s no problem, really,” Katherine lets out a soft giggle. “Goodbye, Mr. Jacobs.”

David turns with his back to the door as she leaves. He puts his bag on the desk and begins setting up a few of his things, before hearing a knock- heavy against the wood, and then the handle is turning and the door opens once again. David watches over his shoulder, and grins as he sees Katherine peek her head back in. “Can I help you, Katherine?” He asks with a soft chuckle.

She shoots him a timid smile, then clears her throat.“Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?”

“You- You want to have dinner with me?” David asks slowly, then takes in a deep breath. “I- heh, I’m flattered, but, uh, I’m… gay,” He explains, rocking on his heels.

Katherine stares at him hard after that. She looks confused for a few long moments, before her eyes widen in realization and she suddenly bursts out laughing. _“No!_ No, I didn’t mean-- I have a husband,” She says with a giggle, shaking her head. “I just thought, well, since you’re new in town and all, it would be fun. You don’t have to, of course, but the offer is open.”

“Oh, _shit,_ I’m sorry,” David says quickly, before wincing. “Didn’t mean to curse, and didn’t mean to- yeah, I-- Sorry. I’m sorry, for all of that,” He lets out an embarrassed laugh of his own, and gives a final nod. “I would love to come over.”

“Great! Be there around six?” Katherine smiles as she walks closer, taking a sticky note and one of David’s pens off of his desk. She writes her number and address, then looks back up at him. “For the record, and I don’t know if this is your scene, but... I’d avoid the gay bar in town. There’s a better one about twenty minutes down the highway.” With that, Katherine leaves the room, leaving David dumbfounded in her wake.

Nonetheless, he takes the advice to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope that kath isn't too OOC in this chapter but i promise she gets better as the fic goes on ahhhhh !!
> 
> but how are we feeling about our kath? do yall think davey is hiding something big? what do we think dinner is gonna be like? 👀
> 
> if you enjoyed this chapter, let me know!!


	3. three // god, this game can thrill me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He's about five minutes early, but that's fine, right? Yeah. David raises his fist and knocks on the door._
> 
> _Just a few moments later, the door opens, and David grins. “Hi, Ka-- Oh, you're... not Katherine.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HES HEEEERE

The first day is actually a lot better than David thought it would be. His kids are all pretty chill about him being the new teacher, and they all cooperated well and let him know exactly where they were and what they needed to be doing. It was a nice change of pace from the class he used to teach back in New York, which was all so fast and strict, but this is much more subdued. David loves it already, but he’s thankful it’s over; it’s been a long day, and right now, he just wants to go home and relax for a few moments before he gets ready for dinner with the Kelly’s.

Once home, which he arrives at around 4:15, David changes into something a bit more casual- a pair of ripped skinny jeans, a white shirt, and a light blue flannel that he leaves unbuttoned. The sleeves are shorter on this one, just barely to his upper arm, but he still rolls the sleeves up to his shoulder. David sees no point in dressing up particularly ‘fancy’ for this dinner; he’s 26, and Katherine seems to be around his age as well, so it isn’t like he needs to impress any actual professional adults.

David waits until about 5:30 to leave his place. According to Google Maps, Katherine’s house is about a twenty minute walk away from his own, but that's fine with David. He walked everywhere in the city, and he’s looking forward to the stroll. On his way there, David takes in everything he can: the color of the trees changing, the crunchy leaves beneath his brown boots, the crisp autumn air. He can get used to this feeling. It feels… nice. It isn’t rushed.

Maybe Tarrytown isn’t such a bad place after all.

David tilts his head to the side as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking down at the address. He checks the number on the mailbox and nods to himself, rubbing his arm as he walks up the driveway. The house isn’t huge, but it’s two stories. It looks historical. Colonial. He takes a deep breath and checks his watch. He's about five minutes early, but that's fine, right? Yeah. David raises his fist and knocks on the door.

Just a few moments later, the door opens, and David grins. “Hi, Ka-- Oh, you're... not Katherine.”

No, no. The man standing in front of him is most definitely _not_ Katherine, but David isn’t exactly upset at the mixup. This guy is _hot._ He has a square jaw, tan skin, dark brown eyes, and perfectly messy hair- which is wavy and kind of long, coming just a few inches above his shoulders. He's a few inches shorter than David, too, but he seems pretty strong, especially since the shirt he's wearing- some college t-shirt- is perfectly tight in all the right places and, wow, David has never felt more homosexual. Someone call 911. Cause of death: _hot guy._

The man standing in front of David raises a brow, then glances him over. “Nah, I ain’t Katherine. Who're you?”

Oh, _fuck,_ his voice is deep. David isn't going to make it through dinner. “Uh-- Heh, David Jacobs, I work with Katherine… She, um, invited me. To dinner. Unless I have the wrong place--”

“David!” Katherine calls out, and he sees her rush out of the kitchen. She looks different outside of school- her hair is tied low, her bangs are swept to the side and held by a few pins, and she’s wearing a pair of mom jeans and a simple white turtleneck. She looks almost unrecognizable outside of her professional clothes. “Gosh, I’m so glad you’re here! This is my husband, Jack. Jack, this is David Jacobs. He just moved into town. Took Mrs. Ingram’s job, remember?”

“Mrs. Ingram got fired?” Jack asks under his breath with a confused expression, before shaking his head and turning his attention back to David. “Come on in, man.”

David nods slowly, taking a step into the house. It’s cute- there’s a fireplace, a big leather couch, and a nice little coffee table. A shelf lines the wall in the back of the room, with books and little knickknacks, as well as a few plants here and there. The living room was spacious, connected to a staircase that led upstairs. Everything is lit up inside, and it feels… bright. It feels homey. “You’re both really good at interior design,” David comments idly, but doesn’t miss the weird look that Jack shoots Katherine.

“Thank you! I got a lot of this stuff at TJ Maxx,” Katherine admits with a grin, before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss Jack’s cheek. “You boys have fun, alright? I’m gonna go work on dinner.”

Just a few moments pass until Jack and David are alone. Jack looks at David with a curious expression, before gesturing for David to follow him. He walks to the living room and plops down on the couch, turning the volume on the TV down. “You’re the gay one, right?”

David sputters for a moment as he sits down, before nodding. “Yeah? Listen, if you have a problem with-”

“No, hey, it’s cool! I was just wondering. Calm down, man,” Jack shoots him a kind smile. “Want a beer?”

“No, thank you.”

“Suit yourself,” Jack says with a grin, then leans forward, grabbing his can of Bud Light and taking a sip. His eyes are on the TV, and as soon as the commercials turn off, Jack turns the volume back up. It isn’t very loud- probably because David is there- but Jack seems entranced by what was on the screen.

David turns to face it, and has to hold in a sigh as he sees a football game being played. Of course. David doesn’t know what else he was expecting. Slowly, he pulls his phone out of his back pocket, scrolling through his Twitter timeline for a few minutes before hearing a chuckle from beside him. “What, is football boring to you or somethin’?”

“Huh?” David glances over at Jack, who seems to be studying him. “Oh-- Sorry, no, I just don’t get how it’s played,” David admits, hurriedly shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“What do you mean, you don’t get how it’s played?” Jack asks with a bewildered look, then scoffs. “I mean, just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you can’t watch football. You’re still a dude, right?”

David shoots Jack a look. “Are you _serious_ right now?”

“Right, sorry. I- I didn’t mean- I’m sorry. That won’t happen again,” Jack cringes, before leaning forward. “I just… Who ever said football is for beer-guzzling troglodytes in trailer parks? We scholars, you and I, can enjoy this on a whole other level!”

“Scholars?” David asks with a tilt of his head.

Jack makes a noncommittal gesture, but Katherine chimes in from the kitchen. “He’s a history professor down at Mercy!” She brags cheerfully, which causes Jack to shake his head. 

“That- That isn’t important right now. What’s important is that you know football basics when you leave my house tonight,” Jack says with a smirk, moving closer. He wraps his arm around David’s shoulder- clearly, he isn't averse to physical contact- then points toward the screen. “Look, first you got your two teams. Yeah? There’s a coin toss to begin the game. Both teams really wanna win tonight, it’s a big game, so this is gonna be intense. The coach assigns a starter and, boom, the game starts with kickoff. And…" Jack pauses, watching the action on the screen, before letting out a subdued cheer with a raised fist. "We’re four downs to the ten-yard line! Ya follow?”

“Uh…” David really wants to speak, but Jack’s arm is still around him like that and, wow, it’s kind of hard to think. This was just a silly little attraction to Katherine’s hot husband, though, nothing worse than that. 

The rest of the first quarter goes just like that. Jack explains everything he can to David about the inner workings of the game. He’s so _goddamn_ passionate about it, and David really has to concentrate in order to even hear what he’s saying. He’s talking, he’s saying all of this information that he knew by heart, but all David can focus on is his voice.

“Davey, dude, you’re missing the game!”

David blinks and comes back to reality for a moment. He nods and looks back at the screen, a soft blush rising to his cheeks. “Right. Okay. Focus on the fine men.”

_“The offensive linemen?”_

“Have you _seen_ number 49? I said what I said.”

“Right,” Jack says with a chuckle, shaking his head. “Whatever. Choose your valentine, but let me have my game in peace.”

“Why else do people watch this stuff?” David asks with a soft laugh, smiling at Jack, and Jack smiles back and wow, David’s heart stops for a second. “When’s the intermission?”

_“Inter--_ What, you need a glass of wine?” Jack teases and gently nudges David’s shoulder. “God, ya kill me, Dave,” Jack murmurs, turning to face him. Their eyes lock for one, two, three seconds, before Jack tears his gaze away and focuses on the screen. “Glad you’re at least enjoyin’ yourself.”

“Me too,” David admits softly, turning back to face the TV. An awkward silence falls over them, until David slowly speaks up. “It isn’t as boring as I thought it was.”

“Huh?” Jack glances over at him, then chuckles. “Aww, you like football now?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” David clarifies, “but it was entertaining. Better than what I watched in high school, at least. I was in the marching band. Drumline.”

Jack shoots him a toothy grin, and looks as though he was about to speak until Katherine’s voice sounds from the kitchen. “Jack, David, dinner’s ready!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how are we feeling about Jack? do we like him, do we not like him, what are we thinking ?? comment below! i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	4. ch. 4 // this is a celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He’s seen this before, though. A couple of high school sweethearts becoming complacent in their lives and not doing anything to get out of the box anymore. It would be tense for anyone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeee we're getting somewhere now i think

Jack has a look on his face when Katherine calls. David can’t really tell what it was. Maybe annoyance, or resignation, but he puts on a smile just for the sake of smiling. David can see that clear as day.

“Be there in a second, hon!” Jack called as he runs a hand through his hair, then shoots David a knowing look. “I love her, but sometimes--”

“Turn that off, babe. C’mon, let's eat,” Katherine steps into the living room, looking at Jack with a critical expression, before looking back at David. “David, do you want wine or beer?”

“Just water, thanks,” David says as he stands up, stepping around Jack to walk to the dining room. Jack follows behind him and places a hand on his shoulder to guide him.

David damn near shudders at the contact.

“Take a seat wherever,” Katherine smiles brightly as she places a large bowl of salad on the table. The food is very typical- seasoned chicken breast, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and salad- but it looks great. The first home-cooked meal David would have in a while, that’s for sure. He isn’t exactly complaining.

“This looks delicious,” David says sincerely as he takes a seat across from Katherine, while Jack sits at the head of the table. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

“We’re thrilled that you’re here,” Katherine chirps, and soon, food is being passed around the table. There isn’t much talking, aside from trying to figure out what everyone wants and the typical _‘can you pass me that?’_ comments, but it goes surprisingly smoothly. David waits until the both of them have their plates ready, and watches as Jack takes the first bite, taking that as his cue to start eating.

“So, Davey,” Jack starts a few moments later, taking a sip of his water. “How’re your classes going?”

“Good, I guess,” David lets out a soft chuckle, shrugging. “Still don’t really know what I’m doing just yet, but it should be fine, I think. It’s just… a lot to figure out,” He admits.

Jack offers up a sympathetic smile, nodding. “Sure. Starting over in a new town with new kids, all that stuff. It ain’t always what it’s cracked up to be, but I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just give it time.” He takes another bite of the chicken, then tilts his head as he smirks at David. “Ya got a boyfriend yet?”

“Jack, that’s enough,” Katherine admonishes him, then shakes her head and looks at David. “I’m sorry for him. This is supposed to be a nice dinner--”

“--I’m making _conversation,_ Katherine.”

“Don’t put him on the spot,” Katherine shoots back, raising her brow as she looks at Jack. She raises her wine glass and takes a long gulp, placing it back down with a sigh. “This is a celebration. To… New friends and New York. Is it hot in here to anyone else?”

“Can you pass the salad?” David asks with a kind smile, in an attempt to change the subject. He takes the bowl from Jack’s outstretched hand, placing some on his plate. “Thank you.”

“No sweat,” Jack replies, shrugging the comment off. “Have you seen much of the city yet?”

“Oh, please, like there’s anything to see,” Katherine scoffs, then leans forward a little, looking at David with a sigh. “We have three nice restaurants, a couple craft galleries, and a bike shop. Fifth avenue, it is not,” She shakes her head, straightening up as she takes another drink, effectively finishing off her glass of wine. She pours herself another glass as Jack watches with a concerned look, but she instead turns her attention back to David. “Do you like that sauce?”

“I do,” David says simply, busying himself with continuing to eat the dinner. It was really good, and Katherine was an amazing cook- but the conversations at hand were just a little too tense for David’s liking. He’s seen this before, though. A couple of high school sweethearts becoming complacent in their lives and not doing anything to get out of the box anymore. It would be tense for _anyone._

“It’s from Stop and Shop. The wine is too, actually,” Katherine explains, taking another drink. “We’re supposed to be getting a Whole Foods, but that’s been a rumor for years. No telling if that’s actually going to happen. We’re lucky we even got that Walmart last year.”

“Don’t listen to Kath, Davey,” Jack chuckles dryly and shakes his head, placing an elbow on the table. “We have some really good places in town. There’s- hey, there’s that olive oil place with the free samples you like,” Jack nudges Katherine’s hand, raising a brow. “And the bakery down the road. Best bagels you’ll ever eat, guaranteed,” Jack grins back at David, and sighs as Katherine shook her head.

“Bagels are a New York City staple, Jack, the ones here can’t compare. Don’t give David any false promises,” She says under her breath.

“You’re oddly passionate about bagels for someone who complains that they make you gain weight,” Jack mutters in a sigh, raising a brow.

“Shut up, Jack,” Katherine glares at him. She takes another long drink of her wine.

As much as David loves being here, he feels as though he was intruding on something. They clearly aren’t in the best of moods, but David knows it would be rude to leave, and truth be told, he really doesn’t want to. He can see that they’re both good people. Maybe today is just an off day.

“Anyway, that’s… Aside from the point. We have a big hotel, too, if you ever have any visitors come down,” Katherine murmurs, tilting her head. “I heard they may have to sell, though. It’s hard to--” She cuts herself off with a hiccup, her hand coming up to hide her mouth. She blinks in surprise and lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. “Excuse me, that was--”

“Hon, maybe you’ve had enough,” Jack suggests, gently rubbing his forehead.

“It was a hiccup, for Christ’s sake.”

“Dinner was delicious, thank you,” David says quickly. He refuses to look up, praying for someone to say… Something. Anything.

Jack takes the bait. He rubs Katherine’s arm gently, giving her a look, before looking back at David with a sympathetic smile. “Hey, why don’t… Why don’t you tell us what you miss about home, huh? This has to be a pretty big adjustment.”

David looks up at him, looking into his eyes for a few moments. Jack seems sincere, like he wants to know what David has to say, and the thought causes a spark to run down his spine-- no. No, Jack is married to Katherine, and Katherine was his friend. He couldn’t do this.

David thinks for a few long moments. What _does_ he miss most about New York? There was his family, sure, but that was to be expected. He misses the coffee shops he had frequented, and the few friends he had. He was sure he would miss the bars and the clubs soon, but he forced that thought out of his mind- there was no need to think about that right now.

“The spirit,” David finds himself answering, and then brings his gaze up to look at Katherine and Jack. “There’s a certain vitality in the city that you won’t find anywhere else. The energy of the city is electric, and there are so many different opportunities and groups of people… Don’t get me wrong, small town life has its perks, I just-... I’m not used to it, that’s all.” He takes a drink and sighs, then grins. “New York isn’t all that great, though. There might be a lot to do, but… It can crush you sometimes. You think you’re going to find your place eventually, but the city just overthrows you. You start hanging out with the wrong crowd and doing things you shouldn’t do, and it ruins you.” David looks back up, rubbing his arm. “I miss it, but I needed a break. My family didn’t really understand, but I’m… I’m glad I came here. You’re both great. Thank you for tonight.”

“You don’t need to thank us, David,” Katherine whispers, and flashes David a grin. “If you ever need anything, we’re here for you, yeah?”

“What she said,” Jack cuts in, and lets out a chuckle. “There ain’t much that happens out this way, but if you need somethin’, you can count on us.”

“Thank you guys, again,” David says with a tight smile, before biting his lip. “Is there anything I can do? The dishes?” He asks once noticing that everyone had pretty much cleared off their plates. 

“Oh, no, no, leave them, I’ll get them,” Katherine says with a smile, before frowning. “Oh, won’t you stay? Just for a little while longer? I have some Chardonnay, I can make a cappuccino--”

“I have some reports I need to read through, so you guys have fun,” Jack says abruptly and stands, letting out a tight chuckle. “Early day tomorrow. Baby, come upstairs when y’all are done? Dave, nice to meet ya,” He nods with a smile on his face, and after washing his own dishes, he heads upstairs.

David watches him and turns to see Katherine looking crestfallen. He gulps softly and glances back to the staircase, before rubbing his arm. “...Let’s have one more glass of wine on the porch. No rush.”

One more glass won’t hurt, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys like this !! let me know in the comments !!


	5. ch. 5 // i'm nobody's fool, i'm trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And then he met Katherine. And then they got married._
> 
> _And then they got stuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is such a short chapter whoops. but next chapter will be better i promise

The sun has set. The sky is illuminated by the bright moon above, with just the barest hint of an autumn breeze rustling through the leaves. David can see lights on in the houses around them, though the houses are spread out further than they were downtown. They are closer to the woods now, and David could hear the faint rushing water of the creek a few yards behind the house.

They’re sitting on the steps of the Kelly house. Katherine has a wine glass in her hand and a sad smile on her face, and David has his arm around her back. “I’m sorry that our bickering ruined the night,” Katherine mutters softly, looking up at David.

“On the contrary. I thought it was kind of entertaining,” David teases with a light shove, before he slowly takes in a deep breath. “In all seriousness… Are you okay? You seem a bit… I don’t know.”

“Drunk and sad?”

“Drunk and sad is one way to put it,” David murmurs. “I know we don’t really know each other that well, but… If you wanna talk about it, I’ll listen. Okay? You can trust me.”

Katherine thinks for a long moment, before placing her glass down with a sigh. “Jack and I… We’ve been together since junior year of high school. At first it was just a fling, and then we got together because… well, it was what everyone expected, y’know? We were a thing, but we weren’t really serious, until… Until I got pregnant.” She stares straight ahead, reaching for the glass and taking a long drink. 

David gulps. He has a feeling that he’ll be learning a lot more about Katherine within the next few minutes, but he doesn’t really mind. If she needs to get it out, then she needs to get it out, and David will listen. Even if it meant being caught between wanting to be a good friend, and his attraction to her husband.

“We were just dumb kids, y’know? Jack wanted to go to art school and move to New York, and I wanted to go to the city and be a reporter… It was all I had ever wanted. But when he and I found out that I was pregnant, we hurried up and got married, because we were scared, you know? We thought it was the right thing to do. We were so excited, too… I was psyched to be a mom. Jack was so happy, and we found out we were going to have a baby girl and Jack was making all these plans, and painting the nursery, and buying these cute little outfits, and everything was good, but then... then I lost her,” Katherine finishes in a whisper, looking away. “Things were… really bad, for a while. I got kicked out for getting pregnant before graduation, so I was already living with Jack when I lost the pregnancy. His mom was the only one who helped us through everything. I haven’t talked to my father since. But, uh, after that, we were… We were both pretty bad, mentally, y’know? We both went to school at Mercy, got our degrees, and just kind of… stuck together. We didn’t really have anyone else.”

Katherine lets out a deep sigh, looking around at the porch. “I never… I never expected this life. I was ready for a life of adventure. I come from a well-off family- like, the kind of family who has reunions in different countries, but Jack… He’s been through a lot, as a kid and with the pregnancy… He kind of… shut off. He hid himself away. And I love him, but… I don’t want… this. I don’t even know if I want… him…” Katherine trails off, staying still for a few moments, before she shakes her head. “Wow! I am- I am _so_ sorry for all of that, you didn’t need to know that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay to want something better for yourself,” David says softly, and bites his lip. “Have you ever tried talking to Jack about it?”

She scoffs, looking at David with a disbelieving expression. “He isn’t exactly a ‘feelings’ guy. He has some trust issues, which is understandable, given his past, but he thinks… He thinks if we don’t mention it, then nothing is wrong. And I know he’s hurting too, but neither of us are brave enough to say ‘fix it or fuck it,’ I guess,” Katherine lets out a deep sigh. “I’ll figure something out. I just… Can you stay for a few more minutes?”

David nods. They stay there on the porch for a long while, sitting in silence as the autumn night took over.

***

Jack is upstairs, grading essay after essay. His students are... pretty good. College kids, most pursuing their two year associates before transferring to a bigger, better school near the city. Isn’t that the dream?

But Jack isn’t exactly a believer of dreams. He sticks to the facts, the clear, consistent facts that he’s known all his life. As a young child, he had been a dreamer. He dreamed of being an artist- owning his own galleries or having his pieces hanging in museums for all to see. He dreamed of living in a penthouse high above the streets of New York, dreamed of having a family and a big group of friends. He dreamed of traveling to Paris, to London, to Santa Fe- anywhere but here, anywhere but this city, this suffocating city.

And then he met Katherine. And then they got married.

And then they got stuck.

Katherine still has all of these dreams and ideas in her head, but, God, why can’t she see that they would never come to fruition? Jack hates to be the bearer of bad news, but she’s stuck in a fantasy world and Jack has accepted the reality. Neither of them will ever make it out of Tarrytown. They’re content and complacent where they are.

It’s easier not to think about the what ifs- at least, it is for Jack. Growing up, he had nothing. No stability, no family. His life had changed so many times and each time, it just got worse and worse, and now that he had Katherine, he didn’t want to let that go. He can’t go through an uprooting again. He can’t stand to lose the one person he has.

But, then again, that’s why he distances himself. He can feel that they’re drifting apart. He knows that everything is coming to a head and nothing can stop it, so wouldn’t it hurt less if he was distanced? If he was far away from the hurt?

Jack rips himself away from the thoughts, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. He looks back to the paper, trying to find his spot to continue reading the essay out loud.

_“In conclusion, while the Battle of Pelham was one of the less bloody skirmishes of the Revolutionary War, it just goes to show that even in 1776, you had to… watch your ass… in the Bronx.”_

Okay. It isn’t NYU worthy, but it’s _something._ And maybe Jack will never get to that point, but what he has is something. He has something. And something is good enough for him.

Something _has_ to be good enough for him.

Jack stands and shakes his head, pacing in the room of his office with a deep sigh leaving his lips. He makes the mistake of walking past the window, looking out to see David Jacobs walking down the driveway. David is… something else. Jack doesn’t know how to feel about him yet, if he was honest. He’s different. Maybe too different- and not because he was gay. No, Jack isn’t like that. David being gay was _not_ a factor in why Jack was thrown off by him.

No, Jack was thrown off because David is… David. He’s interesting, he has a background that Jack wants to know more about. He finds himself wanting to get to know him, but also wants to stay as far away as possible, but that feels unrealistic. He won’t be able to do that- especially not since Kath is his friend- but at least if Jack _does_ see him around, everything will be chill and Jack won’t have to act like he isn’t affected by the man.

When he first saw David, when he first opened the door, he was confused, and then angry, and then confused again because David is… pretty? Yeah. David is pretty.

No. 

David is _hot._ He’s tall and has bright blue eyes and a Roman nose and, God, he wore that short-sleeved shirt and it showed off his arms and even though Jack knows he’s more muscular than David, he has no doubt in his mind that David could pick him up if he wanted to.

Not that Jack wants that. It’s just an observation. Because Jack isn’t into men. Jack has a wife who he loves very much, even if she doesn’t... love him back. Besides, finding out you’re into men at the age of twenty-eight would be weird, and embarrassing, and lonely. So, yeah, Jack is… Straight.

But Jack is also… screwed.

Jack stays in his office, grading papers for about thirty more minutes. By the time he walks across the hall, Katherine is already sleeping in bed, her bare body tangled in the covers. He stares at her for a few moments, trying to remember what it felt like when they were younger.

Their touches had been electric. They would sneak out to see each other and drive around in Jack’s busted blue truck. They would make out and fuck whenever- and wherever- they could, and run wild throughout the streets of their little town, but all of that is a distant memory now.

It’s ironic, isn’t it? Jack is a history professor. History is his job, yet he can’t stand to look at their own. Their tragic past. Their pathetic excuse of a marriage. Jack loves Katherine so fucking much, but she doesn’t love him back and, truth be told, Jack doesn’t even know if what he is feeling is love. Not anymore, at least, but he can’t lose her.

Jack climbs into bed that night with exhaustion settling deep in his bones. He is asleep within minutes, his dreams filled with scenes. Memories. Happy little snippets from the last ten years, most containing images of his wife, the love of his life.

But then, something changes. Katherine isn’t there anymore.

But David is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment if y'all liked this one !!!


	6. ch. 6 // my tongue forever tied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“New York City to here? That’s a big difference. Care to tell us about it?” The woman asks in a soft tone. She looks sincere. Maybe it would feel better to just… let go._
> 
> _So he does._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhh david

Two weeks have passed since David arrived in Tarrytown. 

He’s adjusted surprisingly well for someone who has been in the city for his entire life, but at least now he kind of knew what was up with this little town. Apparently, they take their holidays pretty damn seriously; with Halloween just a week and a half away, the entire town is decked out in decorations and advertisements. There are events being thrown and games being played, and David has never been witness to such a sense of community- unless you count the pride parades in New York City, but this is different.

This isn’t just a group of likeminded people; no, this is an entire town coming together to celebrate. David had never thought that this was something that happened in real life. He thought it was something that only happened in movies, but he was decidedly wrong.

In the two weeks that have passed, he has also gotten pretty close with Katherine and Jack. He and Katherine eat lunch together every day in the teacher’s lounge at the school, and they’ve had dinner with Jack a few times since that first night. He had also hung out with Jack alone twice, which didn't help the whole attraction thing, but things were… better. Things had gotten a bit more fluid. David felt more comfortable.

Well, with them, at least.

David is still struggling on his own, but having friends is a healthy distraction from everything going on with himself.

Still, though, it isn’t enough, because they don’t know everything.

No one does, aside from Sarah, but that was only because she’d caught him in the act one night. The look of disappointment on his twin sister’s face hurt him more than he ever thought was possible, so he promised he would look for help and promised he would get better.

And he did look for help, he really did, but help happened to be his next gateway.

He attended a total of two Narcotics Anonymous meetings in the city, but then he met a guy there. A hot guy, with access to weed, and cocaine, and sex and alcohol and pills and, thus, David only fell further into the spiral until he hit rock bottom.

And now, he’s here. In Tarrytown, with no boyfriend, no drugs, no substances that can fuck him up anymore. It’s a blessing and a curse; he finally remembers what it’s like to be sober and have fun again, but the effects are still there. He has days when his body feels like it’s on fire, days where his hands shake so hard he can’t even unlock the door to his classroom. He’s fine when he’s around people, for the most part, but as soon as he’s home alone, he holds himself and cries in the shower until the burning goes away, until his mind is quiet again. He doesn’t want to fuck up again. He doesn’t want to go back to constantly being under the influence, but every day gets harder and harder.

The only way to hold himself accountable again is going to meetings.

For a town that doesn’t even have a Target, David is surprised to find that they have an NA group. They meet at one of the many local churches on Thursday evenings, or so the cheerful Facebook flier said, and David finds himself waiting in the parking lot one evening, praying that none of his students see him.

Praying that Katherine and Jack don’t see him.

He’s early, but soon other people begin filing in, so David follows their lead. He sticks to himself off to the side, glancing around. He’s seen a few of the people around town before. One lady, he recognizes, works at the Stop and Shop. One of the men is a teacher at the middle school, but he looks like he has cleaned himself up, so he probably only comes in as an accountability thing. He could be someone’s sponsor, too, but David can’t remember if they can come to the meetings or not.

He watches as a woman in a blue dress comes and stands in the middle of the circle of metal chairs. She begins the introduction, and David tries to listen, he really does, but all he can hear is his heart pounding in his chest. The last time he came to one of these, it made his life worse, but… At least there’s no one here he wants to fuck.

Because he only wants to fuck _Jack._

That’s another thing that’s been running through his mind for a while. How is he expected to be a functioning human person when Jack Kelly is still in town? He knows it’s a dick move to be into his best friend’s husband, but David has a habit of wanting what he can’t have. It isn’t like he’d ever act on impulse. He has that much self control, even when it came to Jack--

“--and it’s been brought to my attention that we have a newcomer to the group,” The woman in the dress says toward David’s direction, which effectively brings him out of his ‘Yearning For Jack Kelly’ daydream. “Would you like to share?”

David gulps hard. He doesn’t want to, but he kind of needs to for this to work, right?

“I… I’m David. I moved here about two weeks ago,” He starts, glancing around the circle. Everyone is watching him. His hands start to fidget against his thighs.

“It’s nice to meet you, David. Have you been to a meeting before?”

“Uh- yeah, in New York City. I went twice,” He said with a noncommittal shrug.

“New York City to here? That’s a big difference. Care to tell us about it?” The woman asks in a soft tone. She looks sincere. Maybe it would feel better to just… let go.

So he does

“Well, I’ve lived in the city my entire life. I moved from Queens to Manhattan when I was twenty-two. Got a job, got an apartment, but I wasn’t exactly meeting anyone, and my romantic life took a nose-dive. Plus, my co-workers weren’t really compatible with my interests, so… I started going out to the bars. Just for a drink. Occasionally to find a hookup, but I’ve never been good at talking to guys.” David takes in a deep breath, looking down.

“Then one night,... This guy and I were dancing, and he asked if I wanted to leave, and I said yeah. We ended up snorting coke at his place. I know, classy, but I thought he was hot and I was desperate, so I stayed. I guess that was where it started, but then it started getting… worse?” David runs a hand through his hair. “It felt really good. I grew up in a pretty strict Jewish household, so getting to be rebellious and wild for the first time was addicting. I felt free for the first time, but more often than not, that just… ended with me waking up on someone’s floor after taking some random pills. It was rough. I tried staying home instead of going out, but then I’d get shaky and repeat the process again.

“I started calling in sick for work a lot, which is… something you can’t do as a teacher. And I knew that, and eventually they got tired. I was fired, which initially was fine with me because it gave me more time to fuck around, but then I started blowing all of my money. Couldn’t afford rent. I was evicted about four weeks ago, and now I’m… here. I quit everything cold turkey the day I got evicted, but I feel… I feel like-... It just comes and goes as it pleases. The urge and everything. There one minute, gone the next, and it’s so fucking hard to figure out how to navigate those feelings in a new city, with new friends and new jobs and… I don’t know. I guess that’s why I’m here.”

He knows it’s a lot to process, but, God, it feels good to let it all out. The meeting is better afterward. He hears a lot of other stories that are similar to- or worse than- his own, and he feels… better. Better, for the first time in a long time.

Maybe he would bring up something else at the next meeting. The whole ‘Jack’ situation, because, fuck, it’s stressing him out. Every time he thinks about seeing him or talking to him alone, David feels like he needs to smoke- whether that be a cigarette or a joint, he doesn’t care. Was it stress? Guilt?

Love?

No. That’s ridiculous. He can’t be in love with someone he’s known for two weeks- especially not someone off limits. David has never once been in love, so by that definition, he has no idea what he’s feeling.

He just knows that Jack is hot. And he really wants him. In more ways than one.

Fuck, he’s in deep water.

After the meeting, David begins walking back home, staying on the sidewalk next to the main road. He’s perfectly content until he hears a car honk from behind him, turning around to see none other than Jack Kelly and his old blue truck. From a quick glance, David can tell from the bags in the bed of his truck that Jack has been grocery shopping. How domestic.

Jack pulls up next to David, parking and rolling the window down with a lopsided grin on his face. “Davey, hey! Hop in. I’ll take ya home- I’m headin’ that way anyway.”

David isn’t an idiot. He knows it’s cold and he still has fifteen minutes of a walk left, so he climbs into the passenger’s seat, buckling up with a grin. “Thanks, Jack.”

“No sweat. Can’t have ya gettin’ sick before Halloween,” Jack says with a smirk, nudging David’s shoulder. “Ya got any plans?”

“Probably just gonna stay home. I kind of only know two people in this town and I’m pretty sure they want to spend Halloween together, so…” David trails off with a teasing grin. “But, yeah, I was going to stay at my place. Watch Christmas movies or something."

"Don't you celebrate Hanukkah?"

"Oh, right. I'll just binge all of the classic Hanukkah movies, because there's totally a ton of those out there--" David chuckles as Jack hits his arm-- "and besides, Halloween isn’t exactly my scene.”

“Are you kidding? You live in Tarrytown and you don’t like Halloween? You do know this is--”

“I know. Headless horseman,” David says with a grin, looking at Jack, who is beaming at him with such an intense smile and, fuck, David wants to kiss him.

“Exactly! See, you ain’t as clueless as ya look. C’mon, Davey, Halloween is, like… the greatest holiday, even if you don’t celebrate. It’s an excuse to eat a ton of candy and make fun of shitty costumes. That pessimistic, snarky attitude kinda seems like it would be right up your alley,” Jack smirks, finally starting to drive again. “You’re gonna have fun, and I’m gonna make sure of it.

“Whatever you say,” David concedes with a wide grin, letting the comfortable silence fill the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHHHH DAVID
> 
> how do we feel about this chapter? what do we think about jack's cameo at the end? comment below!!

**Author's Note:**

> as always, i'm @we-are-inevitable on tumblr! come say hi, and let me know what you think in the comments!


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